Shelf



F.'GRAMMICH.

SHELF. I APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. I920.

Patented 111 16 15, 1920.

INVENTOR fiwrkw/v/ag WITNESSES ATTORNEYS FRANK GRAMMICH, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SHELF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1920.

Application filed April 7, 1920). Serial No. 371,876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK GRAMMICH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borou h of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and btate of New York, have invented a new and Improved Shelf, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a sheet metal shelf 7 and has for its general object to provide a shelf so formed that comparativelyfthin sheet metal may be made to possess the necessary strength to sustain a load placed thereon.

The stated object is accomplished by folding the sheet metal at one or more points in Figure 1 is a plan view of a shelf embodying my invention illustrating the samejsupported in position in a structure shown in horizontal section;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 22, Fig. 1, showing the form of the folded portions and the adjacent supporting areas in the initial form and inthe absence of a load on theshelf; V

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the form assumed by the supporting areas and folded portions under a load im posed on the shelf;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention in practice, inaccordance with the illustrated example, the sheet metal to constitute the shelf is folded at one or more places four being shown in Fig. 1, in a manner to present sup-' porting areas at both sides of a folded portion. The folded portions extend from one edge to the opposite edge of the shelf and in the illustrated example extend transverselyas distinguished from a direction from front to rear.

The folding of the shelf material is effected in a manner that saidmaterial extends i from adjacent edges of adjacent supporting areas 10 downwardly as at 11 to the-under side of the shelf and laterally as at 12 in opposite directions beneath the respective areas 10. From each of the laterally extending members 12, the material is returned in the form of U-bends 13 and given a form to extend as at 14 beneath the members 12 from the one returned bend 13 to the other, to

thus,lie across the under side of the joint or space between the adjacent supporting areas 10. Thus, the downward bends 11 at the edges of areas 10, themembers 12, the U- bends 13, and the under area '14 are all integral with one another and withthe adjacent supporting areas 10.

It will be observed that the lateral members 12 extend obliquely to the plane of the shelf so that the material at thejuncture of the return bent members 13 and oblique members 12 will lie against the under side of the areas 10 to have a bracing and supporting function for said areas laterally of the edges of adjacent areas; andthe'folding as described produces a resiliency in the sheet metal so that it may yield at the bends 11, 13 and the areas 10 be depressed by a load as A, Fig. 3. In this manner the opposed inner portions of two adjacent oblique members: 12 at their juncture with the bends 11 will be sustained and braced by the under stretch, 14, therebeneath, while an increasing resistance is afforded by the return bends 13 to the depression of the shelf areas, the whole making for stability in the shelf even though it be made offcomparatively thin sheet metal which it is my purpose to utilize.

In order to further and very materially strengthen the' shelf I produce a corrugation in the folded metal at the under area 14: in a manner to provide an upstanding rib 15 running longitudinally between adjacent areas 10 and extending between the opposed downward bends 11. With no load on the shelf the upper edge of a rib 15 will lie below the surfaces of adjacent areas 10 but upon a load being imposed on the shelf and adjacent areas depressed as above referred. to, the upper edge of the rib will lie in the plane of said areas as in Fig. 3. The load imposed on two areas 10 will be directly taken up by the rib 15 and the return bends 13 and will be distributed from the same to the members 11, 12 and 14, the total number of members produced in the folded portion thus constishown secured in a supporting structure conventionally indicated at B through the medium of downturned. edge flanges 16 on the shelf at opposite sides to receive screws 17 or the like. The shelf may be given any shape at the front, a rounded cut-out 18 being shown.

The front and rear edges are strengthened by returning and folding the material twice on itself in opposite directions to protect the raw edge and at the same time to form a strengthening rib or bead. v

I would state in conclusion that wnile the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same ca be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. I

7 Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sheet metal shelf having folds therein so that the shelf presents adjacent areas at the sides of said folded portion the material at the folded portion being carried downwardly from the edges of said areas and laterally outward to present an oblique member beneath each area, the material from said oblique members being formed with return bends and extending laterally inward beneath said oblique members and continuously across the space between the adjacent areas.

2. A sheet metal shelf having folds therein and presenting supporting areas at oppo: site sides of the folded portion, said folded portionincluding members extending laterally from the adjacent edges of the adjacent areas beneath the latter and in bracing contact therewith, the material being returned from each lateral member to extend continuously beneath the latter and across the space between the adjacent areas.

3. A sheet metal shelf folded to present supporting areas at opposite sides of the folded portion, said folded portion including members extending laterally in opposite directions from the adjacent edges of adj acent areas and beneath the latter, the outer edges of said'members lying against the under side of the shelf at said areas and the folded portion including a stretch uniting both of said lateral members, extending beneath the same and across the space between said areas.

4. A sheet metal shelf having folds therein so that the shelf presents adjacent areas at the sides of said folded portion, the material' at the folded portion being carried downwardly from the edges of said areas and laterally outward to present an oblique member beneath each area, the material from said oblique members being formed with return bends and extending laterally inward beneath said oblique members and continuously across the space between the adjacent areas, all of the said elements entering into the folded portion being integral with each other and integral with the material presenting said areas.

5. A sheet metal shelf folded to present adjacent supporting areas and an upstanding rib between said areas, said rib being integral with the material presenting said areas and normally lying below the plane of said areas, the material presenting said areas being yieldable to be depressed under a load to the plane of said rib.

G. A sheet metal shelf folded downwardly and laterally to present adjacent supporting areas, and lateral members extending from the opposed edges of the areas beneath the latter,'the material at the folded portion being carried, integrally from said lateral members and beneath the latter continuously across the space between said areas; together with a rib formed in said stretch and rising between the adjacent areas.

7. A sheet metal shelf folded to present adjacent supporting areas and lateral members at the under side of the shelf and extending oppositely from the adjacent edges of said areas, the outer portions of said lateral members lying against the under side of the shelf at said areas, said folded portion including a stretch integral with the outer edges of the lateral members, and extending beneath the same across the space between said areas; together withv a rib on said stretch and rising therefrom between the adjacent areas, the top of the rib normally lying below the plane of said areas and the material at the folded portion and at the adjacent portions of said areas being yieldable so that the areas and the folded portions therebeneath may yield and be depressed by a load to bring the top of the rib and the said areas in the same plane.

8. A sheet metal shelf folded to present adjacent supportingareas and laterally dis posed resilient members at the underside of said areas, said lateral members being integral with the material of both of the adjacent supporting areas and in bracing contact with the under side thereof.

FRANK GRAMMICH. 

